The Takeaway: Better Than All Right

Wednesday

Jul 9, 2014 at 10:17 PM

BOSTON — If you include pitcher Rubby De La Rosa, who only barely has exhausted his prospect eligibility, Red Sox started six rookies against the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday night. Almost every one of the kids contributed to a dramatic victory:

Brian MacPherson Journal Sports Writer brianmacp

BOSTON — If you include pitcher Rubby De La Rosa, who only barely has exhausted his prospect eligibility, Red Sox started six rookies against the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday night. Almost every one of the kids contributed to a dramatic victory:

* De La Rosa, pitcher: Limited to 84 pitches because he’d pitched one inning three days earlier for Triple-A Pawtucket, De La Rosa struck out three and didn’t issue a walk. He yielded a pair of home runs to straightaway center field and then a run in the fourth on two defensive misplays.

This ostensibly was a spot start made necessary by the doubleheader Saturday, but it’s more likely that De La Rosa is with the Red Sox than with the PawSox after the All-Star break — as Boston manager John Farrell hinted when talking about pulling the pitcher after just five innings.

“We’d like to see him get deeper, and that’ll be the case as he gets on a regular turn,” Boston manager John Farrell said.

That would seem to imply that the Red Sox continue to search for a way to create a spot in the starting rotation for De La Rosa — presumably by trading Jake Peavy.

* Christian Vazquez, catcher: Called up to replace the departed A.J. Pierzynski, Vazquez went 0-for-3 — albeit with a line drive that almost knocked over Alexei Ramirez at shortstop — before Daniel Nava pinch-hit for him in the ninth inning. But his contribution to the win went deeper than that, including his first chance to show off his rocket arm. Dayan Viciedo tried to advance from first to second on a throw home in the fourth inning, and Vazquez gunned him down. That play saved a run that otherwise would have scored when Jonny Gomes lost a fly ball in the dusk that wound up as a triple.

Vazquez also caught Rubby De La Rosa for five innings and then four different Red Sox relievers, none of which he’d ever caught in a meaningful game.

“Christian Vazquez did an excellent job running the game for us tonight — a number of pitches at the bottom of the strike zone that he framed exceptionally well,” Farrell said.

* Brock Holt, shortstop: It probably will go overlooked just how smoothly Holt fielded his position, the sixth different defensive position he’s played for the Red Sox this season. (His checklist is down to second base — his primary position, ironically — as well as catcher and pitcher.) But considering he didn’t make the Opening Day roster in large part because of the doubts the Red Sox had about his ability to handle shortstop, it’s meaningful.

Holt had a forgettable offensive night until the ninth inning, when he delivered the first walk-off hit of his career to score Daniel Nava from second base.

“I had the easy one, I guess,” he said. “Nava had the tough one. I had nothing but a fastball to hit. I was fortunate to put a good swing on it and get it in the outfield there.”

* Xander Bogaerts, third base: It continues to be a tough month-plus for Bogaerts, who failed to reach three times against Chris Sale. He struck out swinging at a changeup down and away in the second inning, and he popped to first on almost the same changeup in the seventh inning. That’s how he’s being pitched.

Farrell lifted Bogaerts for pinch-hitter Mike Carp in the eighth inning with runners at second and third and two outs — a sign that the team on the field, at least, hasn’t thrown in the towel.

“Our intent every night is to play the game to win it, and that may cause situations as you saw tonight,” Farrell said. “Fortunately we had guys step in and put up quality at-bats. Guys are understanding of where we are. We haven’t conceded anything. The bottom line is to go out and win. If that means a matchup that’s better suited for a guy coming off the bench, we’ll look to do that.”

* Jackie Bradley Jr., center field: He made a catch.

* Mookie Betts, right field: A traditional double in the fifth inning, a wall-scraper off the Green Monster. He hit an infield double in the eighth inning, realizing that second base had been left vacant after he beat out an infield single and sprinting to get into scoring position. That put him in position to advance to third — rather than be doubled up — when Vazquez grounded to second base and then score when Dustin Pedroia singled to center.

“It was a big gamble, but Farrell says be aggressive the same way I’ve been my whole career,” Betts said. “just saw the second baseman going to back up. I knew the shortstop had to come in on it, so second base had to have been open. I looked and just took a gamble and went.

“I’ve actually done it a couple of times in the minor leagues. But the minor leagues is different than here.”

Is it ever.

An inning later, after he was hit by a pitch, he scored from first on a Nava double, showing speed coming around the bases that the Red Sox haven’t seen since Jacoby Ellsbury.

“We’ve been missing out on a lot of speed this year,” Nava said. “It certainly came up big there.”

“You look back on the last couple of innings,” Farrell said, “and Mookie Betts stands out.”

Twitter: @brianmacp

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